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  • 3ruf705dlznca January 28, 2016 at 4:25pm
    SB 10.23.39 — Taking note of their wives’ pure, transcendental devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and seeing their own lack of devotion, the brāhmaṇas felt most sorrowful and began to condemn themselves.
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    SB 10.23.40 — [The brāhmaṇas said:] To hell with our threefold birth, our vow of celibacy and our extensive learning! To hell with our aristocratic background and our expertise in the rituals of sacrifice! These are all condemned because we were inimical to the transcendental Personality of Godhead.
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    SB 10.23.41 — The illusory potency of the Supreme Lord certainly bewilders even the great mystics, what to speak of us. As brāhmaṇas we are supposed to be the spiritual masters of all classes of men, yet we have been bewildered about our own real interest.
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    SB 10.23.42 — Just see the unlimited love these women have developed for Lord Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master of the entire universe! This love has broken for them the very bonds of death — their attachment to family life.
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    SB 10.23.43-44 — These women have never undergone the purificatory rites of the twice-born classes, nor have they lived as brahmacārīs in the āśrama of a spiritual master, nor have they executed austerities, speculated on the nature of the self, followed the formalities of cleanliness or engaged in pious rituals. Nevertheless, they have firm devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose glories are chanted by the exalted hymns of the Vedas and who is the supreme master of all masters of mystic power. We, on the other hand, have no such devotion for the Lord, although we have executed all these processes.
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  • Speaking Soul January 28, 2016 at 11:45am
    SB 2.9.31 — The Personality of Godhead said: Knowledge about Me as described in the scriptures is very confidential, and it has to be realized in conjunction with devotional service. The necessary paraphernalia for that process is being explained by Me. You may take it up carefully.
    SB 11.14.22 — Neither religious activities endowed with honesty and mercy nor knowledge obtained with great penance can completely purify one’s consciousness if they are bereft of loving service to Me.
    SB 11.20.31 — Therefore, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world.
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    • 3ruf705dlznca January 28, 2016 at 5:18am

      Yes.

      Very true.

      SB 11.20.31 — Therefore, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world.
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      SB 11.20.32-33 — Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions.
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      Anyway, for others who are not attracted by Lord, gyana and karma yoga might be their path for spiritual progress :

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      SB 11.20.6 — The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, because I desire that human beings may achieve perfection, I have presented three paths of advancement — the path of knowledge, the path of work and the path of devotion. Besides these three there is absolutely no other means of elevation.
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      SB 11.20.7 — Among these three paths, jñāna-yoga, the path of philosophical speculation, is recommended for those who are disgusted with material life and are thus detached from ordinary, fruitive activities. Those who are not disgusted with material life, having many desires yet to fulfill, should seek perfection through the path of karma-yoga.
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      SB 11.20.8 — If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither disgusted with nor very much attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me.
  • Amrit Shirodkar November 10, 2014 at 6:27pm
    Devotee Dean, as per Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2, chapter pure devotional service, devotee in Kali yuga should chant the Mahamantra, read bhagavad gita and read bhagvatam in a balanced manner.
  • Subash Anjuru November 10, 2014 at 5:35pm
    There is a beautiful way of breaking a contradiction using the below logic.

    A and B are two arguments.

    Logic 1 asks to see, Which among these two is sustaining on the other. Which means one is the base on which another is sustaining.

    Logic 2 says, Even when one is not present, another will always be present.

    If one among the two(A & B) satisfies both these conditions, then that one is the winner or the truth, and the other is false.


    If we apply the above logic to the two arguments(Chanting and Philosophy/knowledge),

    According to Logic 1, we derive that Chanting is sustaining on Philosophy/knowledge.
    From Philosophy/knowledge(from Guru or Book) we came to know about chanting and not vice versa.

    According to Logic 2, we derive that even when chanting is not present, philosophy/knowledge is always present and not vice versa.
    i.e When Philosophy/knowledge is not present(which constitutes chanting procedure), then chanting is not present.


    Therefore, philosophy/knowledge is the winner.

    Now, please don't ask me from where did I get this logic :)
    This universe is built on several laws of which one is this.

    This logic can be applied to the situations where contradiction is taking place between any two arguments.

    Waiting for the fiery responses :)

    Thanks
    Subash
  • Sri Bhagwan Das November 10, 2014 at 10:49am

    Hare Krsna! Devotees, dandavat, AGTSP

    We all know verse quoted by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: In this age of Kali, there is no other way, no other way,no other way except to chant Hari Nam,Hari Nam,Hari Nam kevalam. भगवान् चैतन्य महाप्रभु कहते हैं: कृष्ण के पवित्र नाम के कीर्तन मात्र से मनुष्य को भौतिक संसार से छुटकारा मिल सकता है | इस कलियुग में भगवन्नाम के कीर्तन से बढकर अन्य कोई धर्म नहीं है | कलियुग में अर्थात कलह तथा पाखंड के इस युग में उद्धार (मोक्ष ) के लिए, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण के पवित्र नाम के जाप के अलावा कोई और उपाय नहीं है, नहीं है, नहीं है (CC.आदि लीला 7.73, 74 & 76) |

    नारद मुनि श्रीमद् भागवतम में कहते हैं: “जो लोग सचमुच ज्ञानी हैं, वे इस कलियुग के असली महत्व को समझ सकते हैं | ऐसे प्रबुद्ध लोग कलियुग की पूजा करते हैं, क्योकिं इस पतित युग में जीवन की सम्पूर्ण सिद्धि संकीर्तन सम्पन्न करके आसानी से प्राप्त की जा सकती है” (SB.11.5.36) |इस कलियुग में भगवन्नाम के कीर्तन से बढकर अन्य कोई धर्म नहीं है | कीर्तनीय: सदा हरि: अर्थात भगवान् कृष्ण के नाम का सदा कीर्तन करो |

    Your insignificant servant

  • E-Counselor
    Radha Rasamayi DD November 10, 2014 at 10:36am

    Hare KRsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    Without a doubt chanting. The lord says that if one gets bhakti, gyaan and vairagya are by products. Meaning knowledge and renumciation are by products of devotion. And what is the purpose of knowledge and renunciation in the first place - to develop love of Godhead.

    If one has all the knowledge in the scriptures and still it doesnt translate into love of God, then it is useless and only serves to puff up such a person for his superior knowledge or mastery of the scriptures. It will bring about his downfall on the contrary.

    Whereas if one is constantly chanting, it is not possible to chant without having some love for God. And when one is constantly chanting, it means that it will lead to greater love for God.

    What I have heard HH Bhanu Swamy Maharaj say is that it is not possible to chant non stop without getting the knowledge. Therefore knowledge is important to be able to perform devotional activities, but it is not all in all. Conversely, devotional activity is all in all. If one can perform devotional activity with firm faith and determination, then it will lead to pure love of Godhead, which is what we all aim for.

    Krsna katha happens to be layered. It is complete - from a small child to the biggest transcendentalist, everyone derives pleasure from the stories of the lord's pastimes. The reason being the difference in the levels of understanding and realisation in the same pastimes. Therefore they are timeless and appeal to all age groups. As and when one makes progress or gets purified by chanting the holy names of the lord, the realisations in the same pastimes will increase and that Krsna katha will be enough to give the person the knowledge of philosophy. He may not be able to quote scriptures like an expert, but will have enough life realisations to have firm faith and to go back to Godhead.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Rashmi

  • Amal November 10, 2014 at 8:44am

    Hare Krishna Dean Prabhu!

    This is certainly a wonderful question. With my small fund of knowledge I am not in a position to advise you in this regard. However, I would like to remind you the following verse from Bhagavad Gita:

    teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
    bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
    dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
    yena mām upayānti te

    Translation: To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

    The buddhi-yogam or the real intelligence is most important to go back to Godhead. If we chant Maha mantra, 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare' , Lord Krishna will certainly give us understanding of the 'real intelligenc'. Reading scriptures certainly helps to become Krishna conscious. NamAcarya Haridass Thakur is an example of attaining Krishna's above only by chanting 'Maha mantra'.  I would consider  that chanting and studying should go hand to hand.  

    I would also like to get proper answer of your question. I have just posted response because this is also a question of my heart. 

    Thanks again for your wonderful inquiry.

    Your insignificant servant,

    Amal 

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